The swipe-up will no longer exist. According to a message seen by The Verge and verified by Instagram, the feature that allows individuals to access external webpages by swiping up will be retired on August 30th. Instagram says that instead of the swipe-up link, users will be able to use link stickers, which are precisely what they sound like: tappable stickers in stories that send users to external websites.
The swipe up — a feature that has created its category of GIFs and a word that has become part of the vernacular — is being retired to “streamline the stories creation experience” and enable greater “creative control,” as users may now customize the design of stickers rather than the swipe up.
The corporation began a test earlier this summer, and this upgrade expands on that. Instagram began testing these stickers in June for various users, not only those with swipe-up privileges. (To have access to swipe up, users must be verified or have at least 10,000 followers.)
At the time of the test, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s former head of product, told The Verge that the stickers were more in line with how people were using the platform at the time. He also stated that the purpose was to distribute the stickers more widely. Apart from the apparent gesture difference, the fundamental distinction between the two features is that viewers can respond to articles with a link sticker but not swipe up stories.
For the time being, only people with a swipe upright will be able to utilize the sticker option, although Instagram says it’s “currently investigating” expanding it to more users. According to a spokesman for The Verge, this update would “let us establish whether it’s the right move before giving access to additional individuals.”
Source: TheVerge